Sacrifice
by HaveAHeart0301
Summary: Sequel to Forbidden Love. Two characters will team up, but this time it's not Lucia and Janaff's relationship they're trying to ruin, as another beorc/laguz couple unfolds. Various pairings, most notably, Lucia/Janaff, Elincia/Tibarn, and Mist/Geoffrey.
1. Chapter 1

**Sacrifice**

**Chapter One**

--

_A/N: Finally, I have the sequel thought out a bit. It should be rather interesting, as we'll get to see everyone's reactions to Lucia and Janaff's romance, and also some new pairings as well. Not many of the pairings are thought out, but obviously there'll be the main Elincia/Tibarn pairing, which should work nicely with the Lucia/Janaff one. I'm sure Bastian and Geoffrey wouldn't enjoy this fic, but oh well!_

_So anyway…on with the story!_

_--_

_Their love would require sacrifices to be made. But can they overcome those sacrifices to be together?_

_--_

"You have got to be joking, right Oscar?!" exclaimed Geoffrey, clearly upset.

"N-no, General Geoffrey, I'm afraid I'm not…" replied the paladin-in-question.

"It's true, General. Though I hate to admit it, Lucia told me herself," stated Kieran, hoping for Geoffrey's outbursts to end.

"I can't believe my sister…"

"Cannot believe what, may I ask?" inquired Bastian, the Count of Fayre, walking into the room at a bad time.

"Oh, Bastian…you might want to sit down first. This news will probably…shock…you a bit."

The azure-haired knight looked uneasy and worried. Bastian thought him to be foolish.

"Ah, Geoffrey, my dearest friend. You should have it in that head of yours by now that I, Count Bastian, the grandest of sages, am able to take in any news you might throw at me. I mean, seriously, what news could trouble me so that I'd actually have to have a seat to hear it? Ta ha ha. Really, Geoffrey…"

The count just went on and on. Finally, Geoffrey decided to answer his question, whether he was seated or not…at least it would get him to stop talking for a moment.

"You're sure, Bastian?"

"Yes! Of course, dear friends!"

"Okay…"

"Out with it, boy!"

"Alright, Bastian, as you wish… Lucia and Janaff are dating now."

"R-really? Are you sure that you are not kidding? Or that you have not been told incorrectly?"

"I'm sure…"

"Oh…"

Bastian still had a calm look on his face, as if this news were no bother to him, which was very surprising.

"Wow, Bastian! You're taking this better than I thought you would!"

And at that, the count…fainted…

"Oh great! Someone get a healer!"

"Yes, sir."

--

Meanwhile, Lucia and her foster sister, Queen Elincia, were chatting in the Crimean gardens.

The two were seated around a metal table, which was painted a very bright shade of yellow, on chairs that were equally as sunny in color. The table and chairs were situated on a stone patio surrounded by rose bushes with flowers of about every color you could possibly imagine.

The two were happily recalling events from their recent trip to Gallia--which they had returned from a mere two days ago.

Elincia sighed.

"It was such a wonderful visit, wasn't it, Lucia?" asked the emerald-haired queen.

"Yes, it surely was, Your Majesty," replied her advisor.

In fact, Lucia couldn't stop thinking about the said trip. It was quite perfect, if you looked past the fact that Amber, the young niece of the hawk king, Tibarn, had tried to sabotage the meeting.

Even though that happened, in the end, everything worked out. Now she could be with the one she truly loved.

_And who knows? Maybe Bastian will even leave me alone now!_

But her rather elated thoughts were interrupted by Kieran rushing into the room.

"Your Majesty! Please come quick! And bring your Mend Staff as well!"

"What is it, Kieran? Is someone hurt?"

"Oh, Your Majesty…it's Count Bastian! He's fainted!"

"Oh no! Lucia, we must hurry!"

"Of course, Your Highness."

Elincia grabbed her staff and rushed out of the room behind Kieran, to help their count-in-need.

_This is just great…the count always picks the worst times to get involved into my life…_

But she too, headed out of the room, for she was extremely worried for Bastian. Though he was a major pest, he was still one of her closest friends.

_But that's all that he can ever hope to be!_

_--_

Lucia made it into the room shortly after Elincia had healed Bastian. The count was seated on the floor with Geoffrey, Elincia, Kieran, and Oscar, standing around him. Lucia could tell by the look on Bastian's face that he was very angry about something. That something, she did not have a clue as to what it could be. So she reluctantly approached the count.

"Count Bastian, are you well?" inquired the young sword master.

"No, I must say that I am not well, milady!" exclaimed the count.

This puzzled Lucia, because except for the fact that he looked upset, nothing seemed to be wrong with him.

"Whatever could you mean, Bastian?"

Lucia's brother, whom she was now standing next to, stepped on her foot lightly, causing her to look at him for an explanation. However, Geoffrey only gave her a look as if to tell her to get out of there as fast as possible.

Unfortunately, she did not follow his advice fast enough. The count suddenly had an outburst which was very out of his usually calm manner, causing anyone within earshot of him to stop dead in their tracks.

"Lucia! I cannot believe you! Dating a laguz! That's prohibited! Don't you know that?! Obviously not! I mean, honestly, it would be much more sensible to be with me! Not him! Not Janaff! Nor anyone else for that matter! You should be mine and mine alone!"

"Count…"

"No! I did not permit you to speak! I am not finished here! Just you wait until I see that traitor laguz! I shall use my Rexcaliber tome to wipe him off the face of Tellius!"

"Bastian!"

"Queen Elincia, do not tell me you agree with this atrocity! A beorc with a laguz! Why, it is not meant to be so!"

"Bastian, I see nothing wrong with it! Especially not so well as to have you use violence!"

"Your Majesty! You seriously believe that? I, myself, agree with the count. My sister is foolish to have fallen in love with a laguz!"

"Geoffrey, that is just plain crazy!"

"Is it, Lucia? Or are you just the crazy one?!"

"Geoffrey, I happen to agree with Lady Lucia and Her Majesty."

"What, Oscar? You too?!"

"Yes, sir, it appears so."

"Ha! Well I, Kieran, Commander of the Fifth Platoon of Royal Knights, happen to agree with you, General!"

"So I see how it is, Kieran, I think you are a complete fool for idolizing my brother so, because, well, how can I put it nicely? Right, he's a complete moron. And Bastian, anyone who thought I'd actually end up with you is utterly idiotic! Now, I have nothing more to say to the three of you."

So the six of them left the room: Lucia and Elincia back to the gardens; Kieran to the training fields; Oscar to the royal kitchen to prepare the evening meal; Geoffrey to care for his horse; and Bastian to his room to mope.

_How dare she fall in love with a laguz…or anyone besides me for that matter! I'll fix that!_

--

_A/N: Yeah, a lot of the characters were out of character…well, maybe not so much because I think Bastian really would blow up if this happened, which would anger Lucia. Of course, Elincia, who happens to like Tibarn, would agree with Lucia. And as I said in the last fic, Geoffrey wouldn't take his sister dating anyone very well. As it is known, Kieran would side with Geoffrey, since he's practically his role model, and Oscar would be sensible and side with Lucia and Elincia._

_Maybe I'm just crazy though. Nothing really about Elincia/Tibarn in this chapter. That pairing won't be until later chapters most likely, after all the Lucia/Janaff drama settles down a bit. _

_I tried to make it sort of long, but I probably failed miserably at that. I'm not too great at making my chapters long. But this is only the first chapter of this story, so maybe the rest will be longer. But who knows?_

_Anyway, let me know what you thought. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up soon!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Sacrifice**

**Chapter Two**

_A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. My cousin's up and I've been overall, pretty busy. I haven't had much time to write, and well, probably won't for another month or so. So, don't expect many updates, but I'll try…_

_So, yeah…on with the story!_

_--_

"Men must be some of the most annoying creatures on the face of Tellius!" exclaimed Lady Lucia. "They think they know everything! But they don't!"

"Lucia…" Queen Elincia said, trying to get her foster sister's attention.

"I mean, seriously! Oh, yes, Your Highness?"

Lucia followed Elincia's gaze over to Oscar, who was sitting there looking rather bored and uncomfortable.

"Oh, no offense or anything, Oscar. You clearly have more sense than my brother or Bastian."

"Uhh…thanks…" replied the knight.

Lucia continued her ranting. Pretty soon, one of the Queen's servants came into the room.

"Your Majesty, Lady Lucia, Sir Oscar…"

The servant bowed.

"There is a messenger here to see you."

"Thank you, Ashley. Please send them in."

Ashley left the room and Lotz, the Phoenicis messenger, came in carrying with him an envelope.

He bowed.

"Ah, yes, Lotz, it's nice to see you again."

"Likewise, of course."

"So, what, may I ask, brings you here?"

"Actually, I'm here to see the lovely Lady Lucia. I have a letter for her."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, it is from Janaff."

He took a letter out of his bag and handed it to Lucia.

"I can also take a letter back to Janaff for you, if you'd like."

"Thank you, Lotz. It is most appreciated. I'll have the letter ready right away."

"In the meantime, why don't you rest for awhile?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty. That would be wonderful."

"Yes, and I shall prepare a meal for you!"

"That sounds great, Oscar. I've heard from the King that you are an amazing chef!"

"The King flatters me…"

And so Oscar and Elincia dragged Lotz into the castle kitchen, leaving Lucia by herself to read her letter.

She could hardly contain her joy. Her hands were shaking as she tried to eagerly open the envelope. She slipped her finger under the seal and opened the envelope, surprisingly, without even ripping it.

She sighed and began reading the letter.

--

_Hey Lucy,_

_I was just curious as to what Geoffrey (and everyone else, for that matter) thought about us. The reactions weren't too bad on my end. Tibarn's totally supportive. Even Prince Reyson thinks it's great! Ulki's not very ecstatic about it--he thinks that beorc and laguz couples shouldn't be together--but that's normal for him, right? Amber's still the same annoying pest, but that's expected. _

_I might (hopefully) get to come see you sometime soon. I'm not fully sure though. Things should be settled down here soon, I think. Who knows, maybe if things get better in Phoenicis, I could leave Tibarn's side and move to Crimea to be with you._

_I can't make promises yet though. But I do love you._

_--Janaff--_

_--_

Reading his letter made her even happier. She busily began writing a letter for Lotz to return to Phoenicis.

_That _was the hard part. She really didn't know what to write. After all, she didn't want to sound utterly ridiculous. Nevertheless, she began writing anyway, and soon she had what she thought would be an acceptable letter, and rushed off to find Lotz and the Queen.

--

"Ah, hello, Lotz. How are you on this fine day?" asked a mysterious voice.

Lotz turned around to see exactly who was calling him. And to his surprise, it was none other than the Count of Fayre!

"Count Bastian…it's…so nice to see you…"

"Is something the matter, Lotz? You seem a bit distracted."

"N-no. Not at all."

"If you're sure then."

"Is there something you need, Count?"

"Ah yes, I came all the way down here to ask a favor of you."

"Oh. Yes. What is it?"

"Could you possibly deliver this letter for me?"

"Of course. Who would you like me to deliver it to?"

"Oh! So silly of me to ask you to deliver a letter after I didn't even tell you who it was addressed to!"

"Yeah…"

"It is for Princess Amber."

Lotz was sure the Count saw his jaw drop. He tried to hide it anyway.

"Princess Amber?"

"Yes, do you have a problem with this?"

"N-no. Not at all."

"Good. Oh, here comes Lucia… Lotz, don't tell her about the letter."

"Okay. But why?"

"She just doesn't need to know."

And so the Count of Fayre walked past Lucia, giving her a look of death while he was at it, and left the room.

"What did he want?" Lucia asked as she walked over to Lotz.

"Nothing. Just saying hi…"

"Oh really?"

"Yes. Do you have your letter ready? I'd like to leave here as soon as possible."

"Oh, yes, here it is."

Lucia handed the sealed envelope to Lotz.

"Well then, I'm off."

Lotz took to the sky, feathers falling to the ground.

"The Count obviously said something…I think I'll find out what it is. You can never trust that man…"

She took off in the direction the Count had gone.

--

Tibarn and Janaff were out taking a stroll around Phoenicis Castle. It was a fairly nice day, sunny with a decent breeze. Just how the hawks liked it.

As they made their way deep into one of the castle's many forests, Janaff turned to his friend.

"Tibarn, what do you really think about Lucia and I?"

"What do you mean?"

"Us dating…"

"Oh. You want me to be honest?"

"Of course! Why else would I even ask you?!"

"Okay, I honestly think it's wonderful!"

"You do?"

"Yes. Now can I ask you a question?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Okay, what do you think of Elincia?"

"Queen Elincia of Crimea? Why would you ask that?"

Tibarn only looked away, however, not giving his retainer an answer.

"Oh! I get it! You like Elincia!"

"That's not it at all!"

"Then why are you blushing?"

"I'm not!"

But the King of Hawks had, in fact, turned a light shade of red.

"Uh-huh. Sure…"

"Janaff!"

"Tibarn and Elincia…"

"Janaff!!"

Their arguing was then interrupted by a rustle in the trees.

"Who's there?" Tibarn's voice boomed.

"No need to worry, Uncle, I just came to tell you and Janaff that Lotz is back," a voice replied.

"Oh, thank you, Amber. Did he bring any news with him?"

"Not quite. He brought letters though. There's one for me too!"

"From who?"

"I'm not sure…he wouldn't tell me."

"That's…odd…"

"Yes, very."

"I suppose we should get back there to see."

"Uh-huh. Oh, Amber, is there a letter for me?"

"Of course, Janaff…did you actually think that Lucia's wouldn't write you back?"

"I was hoping she'd reply."

"Well she did! Now let's get going!"

"Yes, of course."

_Tibarn likes Elincia…Tibarn likes Elincia…_

_I wonder how Geoffrey will feel about that…this could be interesting…very interesting indeed._

--

_A/N: Okay, so let's see…well, so this doesn't quite follow Radiant Dawn, seeing how the birds tribes are not united and such, since I forgot about that until after I started working on this…but oh well I guess._

_This chapter didn't go quite as planned either, but hopefully it's still good. Reviews are appreciated. :D_

_Okay, so now to comment on my only review for chapter one…_

_Ralf Jones: Glad you like the story and I will put more beorc/laguz couples in it, but which ones, I'm not sure yet. Definitely Ilyana/Mordecai, possibly Shinon/Lyre or Nolan/Vika. If you have any more ideas or pairings, let me know._


	3. Chapter 3

**Sacrifice**

**Chapter Three**

_A/N: Sorry this took so long. Also, I promised to put the pairings in this chapter, but that's actually going to be the next chapter because I had a new idea for this one. But they really will be in the next chapter. Anyway, enjoy!_

_--_

_Janaff--_

_I really hate to tell you this, but Bastian, Geoffrey, and Kieran totally freaked out. They're acting like complete idiots! I wish you were here, then you could beat them up--joking, though it would be cool._

_Anyway…that's so sweet that Tibarn and Reyson feel that way! Yeah, definitely normal Ulki. Amber's not all that bad--if you look past the fact that she's an evil fourteen-year-old who wants to date you and would do anything, risk anything, to get her way. Uhh…yeah…_

_Well, I suppose I should go help the Queen get ready for this ball thing she's throwing tonight. She wants me to go, but I don't think I'll be able to have any fun without you._

_I love you too!_

_--Lucia_

Janaff sighed.

"Her handwriting's beautiful--just like her. How I wish I could be there for Elincia's ball. I feel like I'm letting Lucy down…"

--

"You know what they say, Bastian. When life gives you lemons, turn them into oranges!" exclaimed Geoffrey, trying to cheer his friend up.

"You mean lemonade?"

"No…oranges."

_-Geoffrey's Flashback. Geoffrey is eight and Lucia is ten. The two are seated at a table--which has blue placemats with lemons on them--drinking guava pineapple juice.-_

"_I'm going to train with Uncle Renning today," stated Geoffrey's sister._

"_You know, Lucia, he's not your uncle. In fact, he's absolutely no relation to you at all."_

"_So?! I can still call him that if I want!"_

"_Lucia, you are so childish."_

"_Nuh-uh!"_

_Geoffrey, in a fit of anger, knocked over his juice. The juice spreads across the table, getting three of the placemats wet._

"_Geoffrey! Just look what you did! Mom's going to be so mad when she finds out!"_

"_Oh no…please don't tell her!"_

"_She's gonna notice when she sees her placemats are soaked!"_

"_Oh no no no…please help me!"_

"_Okay, fine."_

_Lucia got up, grabbed some paper towels, and began wiping up the spilled juice._

"_Get the trashcan."_

"_Okay."_

_Geoffrey brought the trashcan over to his sister, who threw the used paper towels in it. She then took the placemats and wrung them out over the trashcan._

"_Here. Throw these in the clothes hamper."_

"_Okay."_

_Geoffrey took the placemats to the hamper while Lucia looked for some new ones. She found three and placed them on the table just as their parents were coming in the door._

_Geoffrey and Lucia sat back down at the table._

"_Did you two have fun while we were gone?" inquired their father, Martin._

"_Lots!"_

"_You didn't fight, did you?" asked their mother, Amanda._

"_Not at all!"_

"_That's good."_

_Amanda then looked down at her placemats._

"_I thought my placemats had lemons on them."_

"_They do…"_

"_No, these are oranges."_

"_Uhh…"_

"_What have you two done?"_

"_Nothing, Mother!"_

"_Yeah, haven't you ever heard the expression 'when life gives you lemons, turn them into oranges?'"_

_Martin sighed._

"_It's lemonade, Lucia."_

_-End Geoffrey's Flashback.-_

The Count had been talking this whole time, but Geoffrey was clueless to what he was saying.

"But the only thing I want is your sister…"

"Seriously, Bastian, what's so great about my sister?"

"She's beautiful…and smart, funny, beautiful, kind, beautiful, caring, beautiful…"

"Uhh…Bastian…you said 'beautiful' four times."

"I did? I hadn't noticed…"

The two were interrupted by Lucia walking into the room with a sheet of paper.

"Geoffrey…"

"Yes, Sister?"

"Queen Elincia would like to see you in the meeting room."

"Thank you."

Geoffrey started to walk away.

"Oh! And Oscar wanted me to give you this list."

"Hm?"

"I think it's the items he wants from the market…you said you'd pick them up for him."

"Oh, yes. I nearly forgot. I'll get right on that after I speak with the queen."

Geoffrey left the room after saying that, leaving Lucia alone with Bastian.

"I still don't see how you fell in love with that sub-human."

"Sub-human? I don't recall saying that I was in love with you, Bastian. The man I love, Janaff, is a laguz."

With that Lucia left the astonished Count to mumbled to himself.

"Did she just call _me_ a sub-human?"

--

_**Grocery List**_

_Tomatoes_

_Soy beans_

_Radishes_

_Pecans_

_Apples_

_Janaff_

_Pasta_

_Cherries_

_Grapes_

_Red Onions_

Geoffrey read over this list four times to make sure that his eyes were not deceiving him. The sixth thing on the list really was Janaff.

"Had he really meant to put that?" Geoffrey muttered to himself. "I should go find out."

--

"Oscar?!"

"Hm? Oh, Geoffrey! Do you need something?" Oscar asked, turning around.

"Lucia gave me that list…"

"Oh. That's good."

"Okay, Oscar. It's not funny. Tell me why you did it."

"Did what?!"

"Wrote 'Janaff' on that list."

"Oh, that."

"Uh-huh."

"Well, since Queen Elincia's ball is tonight, I thought it'd be nice if you went to get Janaff."

"Okay. Number one…why in the world would I even consider doing that?"

"You want to do something nice for your sister?"

"Ha. No. And even if I did, how would I get there in time? Phoenicis is only accessible to beorc by ship, and that would take days!"

"Geoffrey, I think you're forgetting something…there's these things called pegasi. They can fly and…"

"Okay, okay, I get it. But still, it's not like I can ride a Pegasus."

"I've already asked Marcia, and she said she'd take you."

"Why do I have to go? Can't she go by herself?"

"It would mean a lot to Lucia if you supported her relationship. Believe me, I know. Janaff's a great guy. He'd never intentionally hurt your sister."

"Fine, I'll go."

"Great! Marcia's waiting out in the stables."

"Okay."

--

Geoffrey arrived in the stables and found Marcia talking to her Pegasus, Torie. She turned around when she heard footsteps nearing her.

"Ready to go, General?" inquired the Seraph Knight.

"I suppose."

"Torie's ready too, so I guess we should be leaving."

"Right."

The two mounted the eager Pegasus and took to the skies.

--

"What about this one?" the Queen of Crimea asked, showing a dress to two of her retainers.

"It's nice," replied Kieran, not very excited to be there.

"No. It's too…" started Lucia.

"Long?"

"Yes. We don't want what happened last time to happen again."

"You're right. I'll go find another one."

The queen went into her closet to find a new dress.

"What happened last time?" asked the knight in a hushed tone.

"She tripped and ripped her dress."

"Oh. Say, Lucia, how many dresses has she shown us? I lost count…"

"Twenty-eight."

"Won't she ever be finished?"

Lucia only laughed as the queen came back out with another dress on.

"This one?"

"Apparently my opinion doesn't really matter much, but I like it."

"Me too. Perfect length, style, everything."

"Great!"

"So we're done here?"

"No…I still need to pick out shoes."

"Well you can do it without me!"

Kieran stood up and left the room.

"That was rude."

"Yeah. So you really like the dress?"

"Of course! It suits you well."

The said dress happened to be one that slightly passed Elincia's ankles. It was light purple in color and had turquoise designs sweeping across the fabric.

"Which dress are you going to wear?"

"I was thinking about the deep red one, but it just seems a bit too informal."

"What happened to the indigo one?"

"Long story. Pretty much, Geoffrey tore it up with his lance…and then had his horse trample over it."

"That's…unfortunate. I might have a dress you might like, actually. Let me go get it."

Elincia got up and went into her closet before Lucia could protest. She came back carrying the most gorgeous dress Lucia had ever seen. It was slightly longer than Elincia's and pure white in color. It had blue outlining that matched Lucia's hair perfectly.

Seeing her friend's awe, Elincia spoke up.

"You could borrow it if you'd like. It was a gift from my mother. I've only worn it once."

"Oh, Elincia, I couldn't."

"I insist. In fact, it's an order."

"Elincia…"

"Fine. If you don't think it's fair, then we'll do a trade. You can borrow the dress and I'll borrow that pair of shoes you got from Geoffrey on your birthday. Deal?"

"Deal."

_--_

"_He'd never intentionally hurt your sister."_

_Intentionally was the key word there. What if he did hurt her?_

Geoffrey thought to himself.

Truth was, he didn't think anyone was good enough for his sister. Not Bastian. Not Kieran. Not even Duke Renning or any other high-ranking official. So why would some laguz he didn't even know that well be good enough?

Sensing Geoffrey's inner conflict, Marcia had not said a word the whole trip. Until now that is.

"You know, Geoffrey, Janaff really is a great person. He treats Lucia like she's Ashunera herself!"

_Ashunera, huh?_

"Right."

"Really, he does!"

"I'm not denying it. I just worry about her, that's all."

"You know, if I didn't know better I'd say you didn't like him because he's a laguz. But the truth is, you just don't want her to be happy."

"What?! That's nonsense! Of course I want my sister to be happy!"

"Then you should show it. She's happy with Janaff. She _loves _him."

Marcia's words hurt. Geoffrey wanted his sister to be happy, but he also wanted her to be safe. He just wasn't sure whether or not Janaff would break her heart. Or if she'd break his heart and have Tibarn, Ulki, Reyson, Lotz, and probably even Amber after her.

He just wasn't sure.

--

_A/N: Wow, that was surprisingly long for me. I almost made it longer, adding the parts for the ball, but decided not to. And that would be why the pairings were not in this chapter--they're going to be at the ball and such. _

_Thanks to all my readers and reviewers, and I'll try to update soon!_

_FE Frog: I hope you don't go mental…that would be…unfortunate. Lethe/Zihark could work. I'm not sure yet. I read your story with Robyn and it was really good. They would be a good couple. But what ever happened to the story?_

_Ralf Jones: Glad you liked it. And I will have some beorc/beorc couples and laguz/laguz couples. I have a few thought up already, but not many._


	4. Chapter 4

**Sacrifice**

**Chapter Four**

**--**

_A/N: Okay, so I haven't updated this since sometime in August, I believe, so I apologize for the long wait. Aside from that, I'd like to thank all of my reviewers and everyone that's suggested pairings (I don't specifically remember who suggested what, though I know a lot of them were from Ralf Jones). Well, hopefully this chapter will be worth the wait!_

_--_

He remembered staring into her beautiful blue orbs as Queen Elincia stood off to the side with her pegasus. Being able to hold Lucia in his arms was the happiest time in his life, but it was just a memory. Now he was back in Phoenicis with his king; she was with her queen in Crimea.

They couldn't be together now; maybe they never would. That was a possibility, but it was one that tore at his heart. He just couldn't imagine life without her...

--

Lucia walked into the extravagantly decorated ballroom beside Queen Elincia. Neither of the women had dates for the event, so the queen had insisted on them showing up together.

She wore that gorgeous white gown with blue trim. Her hair was pinned up, but a few loose ringlets framed her face. Violet earrings dangled from her ears and a gold chain with a lavender stone sat around her neck. Around her wrist, she wore that beautiful azure and crimson bracelet given to her by Janaff. Oh, why couldn't he be here with her now?

--

Geoffrey sighed as Marcia landed her pegasus near Phoenicis castle. Why did _he_ have to be the one to come here? Surely someone else could have done it.

"Come on, Geoffrey. At least _try _to look friendly," Marcia laughed, not even glancing back at him to see his expression. The azure-haired man, on the other hand, stared at the back of her head and then at her pegasus. He could nearly swear that the animal was looking at him expectantly. She continued, "It's not _that_ bad!"

He sighed again. "Marcia, you don't understand."

"Oh really? What don't I understand?" she retorted sassily.

Yet another sigh escaped his lips before he answered her. "I just don't...I just don't want her to be hurt. I mean, what if he breaks her heart?"

"Don't you trust your sister?"

"What? Of course I do... What does that even have to do with what I was saying?"

"Well, if you really trust Lucia, you should realize that she has good judgment. Even if she doesn't have good judgment, and if he does break her heart, she'll need someone there for her." She paused for a moment, but when she turned around and saw the puzzled look on the man's face added, "That's you."

"Oh, of course...I knew that..."

She gave him a disbelieving look and rolled her eyes before giving him a slap on the back and exclaiming, "Now...get in there!"

He only nodded and stumbled off the woman's flying beast. He hadn't even known they had landed yet, but, sure enough, there they were on what was probably one of the most-level areas in Phoenicis. Straight in front of him was the main palace, surrounded by dozens upon dozens of mountains. Walking very slowing, he made for the castle's entrance.

There was still time to turn back if he wanted to. No one would ever know that he had been here, so close to making his sister so happy...

--

The azure-haired woman sighed as she walked alone through the hall of brightly colored banners. She had left the main party long ago and now stood gazing at the heavily decorated halls of the castle. Everything was a bit too showy for her tastes, but she thought that the Royal Knights had done a nice job of decorating the palace to meet Elincia's demands nonetheless. Everywhere she turned there were decorative paper strips in vivid green, dazzling pink, and sunny yellow.

Despite her positive and supposedly uplifting surroundings, Lucia herself felt more than gloomy. It saddened her to know that she couldn't be with the man she loved on this evening, and neither could her queen. She hadn't figured that the hawk tribe would be able to make the event, but she had hoped for it more than anything. Perhaps, though, it was all for the best. After all, the Crimean nobles had sort of _invited themselves_ to the palace on this night, and she had seen how they had scoffed at the other beorc/laguz couples that were having a great time. They certainly wouldn't approve of a high-ranking noble and their own queen being attached to the arms of laguz men, no matter if they were the king of Phoenicis and his 'eyes' or not.

She found it a bit unfair how the other couples could get away with it though. Had it been her or Elincia dancing with a laguz, rather than some of the other guests, she knew it would cause an uproar. Yet, nothing was said about the others. She had personally seen a very timid Ilyana dancing with Mordecai, who looked as though he could easily crush her. The woman couldn't say that she wasn't happy for her friend, but it only reminded her of how she wished to dance with Janaff.

The raven, Vika, hovered above the ground slightly as she waltzed around with Nolan. Shinon grumbled as the orange cat, Lyre, forced him over to the floor. Nearby, Lyre's twin sister, Lethe, was shown the basics of dancing by Zihark. Then, there was the most serene couple in the world: Reyson and Sigrun. It seemed that not a worry in the world troubled them.

Naturally, there were other couples aside from those mixed with laguz and beorc. For the strictly beorc couples, there were Astrid and Makalov, Calill and Largo, Marcia and Gatrie, Mia and Kieran, Tanith and Oscar, and, finally, Renning and Titania. For the laguz, only Rafiel and Nailah, and Leanne and Kurthnaga had taken to the floor. There was also one Branded/beorc couple, which happened to be Micaiah and Ike.

She had noticed how both Reyson and Rafiel had kept a close eye on Leanne, making sure she stayed out of harm's way. To be honest, Lucia was a bit surprised to find the heron's eyes sparkling when the dragon king asked her to dance, but the night was full of surprises, some of which even _she_ didn't know of yet.

--

Back in the ballroom, a certain two brothers leaned against the wall, grumbling amongst themselves. Both were gazing in the direction of a young woman, who had previously turned them both down for a dance. Sighing, Rolf turned to his older brother, "I can't believe Mist wouldn't dance with either of us."

"I know, peewee," Boyd grunted.

"Hey! Don't call me that, Boyd!" the man's younger brother shouted, causing a few heads to turn their way.

The darker-haired man shushed him. "Whatever, Rolf, just keep your voice down. We don't want everyone to know that we can't get dates, now do we?"

"No, you're right...for once..." he replied, rolling his eyes.

The two stood there in silence for a moment before Boyd grumbled in frustration. "Man, I feel like Bastian!"

"Yeah, this must be how he feels getting turned down by Lucia all the time..."

Speaking of Lucia, both men looked up when the swordswoman walked back into the room after her absence and was intercepted by Mist. The brunette pulled the woman aside and was saying something, though the only thing either of the brothers could make out was "Geoffrey."

--

Marcia glared at Geoffrey as they both dismounted from her pegasus in front of Crimea Castle. Shaking her head and sighing, she yelled at the man, "Why would you do something so stupid?! You cheese brain, Lucia's going to kill you when she finds out about this!"

"Calm down, Marcia, it's not that bad. She'll live, I can assure you of that. Now you'd do well to be quiet before they hear you," the knight replied.

"I don't see why I ever agreed to take you to Phoenicis in the first place if you were only going to do _this_..."

"Please, get over it; it isn't that big of a deal. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go inform my sister that she has a guest here."

Geoffrey walked towards the castle and Marcia made her way towards the stables just as four figures landed where they had earlier stood. They had been instructed to wait there until the commander of the Royal Knights returned, or his sister arrived, but a certain man among them was more than anxious to get to the queen's ball.

--

As the two young women stood there chatting, they were interrupted when a hand was placed on Lucia's shoulder. Turning around, the woman was met by her brother's gaze. "Geoffrey! Where have you been?"

"Let's just say that I'm here to deliver a bit of a present to you. Part of it you'll really like, but another part you may just kill me for," he answered.

She gave him a puzzled look before asking, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Patting her on the back and laughing, he could only manage, "Go outside and see for yourself."

She glanced at him a moment longer before picking up her skirt and walking towards the door. She looked back over her shoulder a time or two, at which point her brother would always wave her on. When he finally saw her disappear through the doors, he turned to her companion. "I'm sorry that I interrupted."

She giggled, "Oh, it's nothing, General Geoffrey."

He smiled at her and turned to walk away, but instead spun back around on his heel. "Say, Mist, would you care to dance?"

"I-I'd love to, Geoffrey." She blushed as he lead her onto the floor, receiving intense glares from two of the other mercenaries.

--

Lucia held her breath as she prepared to open the door that lead to the clearing in front of the castle. She hadn't a clue what her brother was planning, or what exactly he meant by "she might want to kill him for it," but she supposed that she didn't have a choice but to go and see.

Opening the door, she was greeted by three members of the hawk tribe. A man with greenish-tinted wings, another man with darker brown wings, and a young girl with pink wings all stood before her. She looked around for a moment, half expecting Janaff to be with them, but he was no where in sight.

She curtsied before Tibarn, giving him a half-hearted welcome. "Milord Tibarn, it's nice to see you again. Princess Amber, Lord Ulki, it's a pleasure."

The bird king only laughed at her and pointed in the direction she had just come from. Lucia slowly turned around, not sure what to expect. "Janaff!" she exclaimed, throwing herself into his outstretched arms. She rested her head on his chest, while he chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Now, don't you look lovely?" He laughed slightly before lifting her chin up to look at her face. "Oh, Lucy, please don't cry," he pleaded, removing one of his arms from her waist and wiping away the tears that had fallen from her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she replied meekly. "I'm just so happy to see you."

"As am I, darling, but I hate to see you cry, whether it's because of pain or joy."

Tibarn cleared his throat for a moment before turning to the two. "Amber, Ulki, and I will just leave the two of you alone then." He then took his niece's hand and lead her inside the castle, with his 'ears' following close behind.

"Janaff, I'm so glad that you made it, but how? The messenger we sent said that you wouldn't be attending..." Lucia whispered.

Taking one of her ringlets and twirling it around his index finger, the hawk answered amusedly, "We weren't coming until that brother of yours showed up and talked Tibarn into it. Before, he figured that Amber had caused enough trouble with you Crimeans, but Geoffrey said that it would be all right to bring her. I'm sorry that you'll have to put up with her, but it was the only way."

"I don't mind...as long as you're here." She pecked him lightly on the cheek before a sudden burst of cool air blew in, causing her to shiver.

Kissing Lucia's forehead, Janaff sighed. "I should probably get you inside before someone comes out looking for you..." he trailed off and then looked at her sleeveless dress, "...or before you freeze to death.

He then continued, "Now, tell me, sweetheart...would you care to dance with a certain hawk laguz?"

"Do you really think that Ulki would dance with me?" She laughed at the frown that appeared on Janaff's face before adding, "Of course I'd love to dance with you, Janaff."

--

_A/N: Wow, I finally finished this chapter (I mean, it took almost a year). Anyway, hopefully it was good. I think it's quite a bit better than some of the other chapters in this story, but maybe that's just me. Oh, and I should thank my cousin (meguin the penguin) for her idea...the whole Boyd feeling like Bastian thing. She suggested that last summer. Also, the next chapter should be up soon, and it will feature an OC lent to me by mr. stranger._


	5. Chapter 5

**Sacrifice**

**Chapter Five**

**--**

_**A/N: **__Well, this took longer than expected, but I finally finished it. Thank you to my reviewers, __**spygirly**_**, **_**FE Frog**__, __**mr. stranger**__, __**meguin the penguin**__ (though should I honestly call that a review, _consobrina_? Oh, and you spelled banana incorrectly, by the way), and __**Sheelos-Wolf**_**.**_ An even bigger thank-you to __**mr. stranger**__ for allowing me to borrow his character Haggerhaw. _Lege et recense_ (read and review, in my incredibly faulty Latin)! _

_--_

The sand-colored hair of the hawk flew loosely in the breeze as he sat propped up against a tall tree in a field behind Castle Crimea. As he sat staring out at the rolling hills and small streams in the area, he had his arms wrapped around her. Lucia laid curled up in his lap, eyes closed and a serene smile gracing her lips. She had dozed off awhile ago, and since then, the man had been braiding portions of her hair out of boredom.

He had never known that spending time in a beorc nation could be so calming, so...joyful. For years he had disliked the beorc, the events of the Serenes Massacre still burning away in his mind, but Lucia...she had changed him - and for the better it seemed. She wasn't what he had imagined a beorc woman to be like. She was sweet and kind, friendly, considerate, ...everything you could ask a woman to be. She wasn't a stuck-up noble like the rest of her class. She was genuine and beautiful in every way.

He almost felt as though he was unworthy of her. She had other suitors, so the fact that she would choose to love him was beyond anything he could imagine. He wasn't a poet like Count Bastian, a knight like Lord Renning, or someone mysterious like Volke. He wasn't a strategic genius like Soren, a hero like Ike, or a royal like Pelleas. He wasn't the most powerful hawk like his king, or an intent and kind-hearted listener like his best friend. Then again, he wasn't a gambler like Makalov, or a cruel-hearted drunk like Shinon.

Whatever her reasoning for loving him was, it would just have to remain a mystery to him for at least a little while longer, he supposed.

Despite all his confusion over why she would pick him, there was one thing he knew for certain: last night was one of the happiest moments of his whole life. The night rivaled possibly even that of the day, all those years ago, when he saw one of his closest friends crowned the new king of Phoenicis.

Last night was a night of waltzing and catching up. He was never one for beorc dances, and he certainly didn't know the steps, but looking into Lucia's bright blue orbs made him feel as if he'd known the dance all his life. As they moved about, the hawk was able to see his king leading Lady Elincia to the dance floor, Geoffrey talking with an ecstatic Mist before leading her to the floor as well, and his best friend and Bastian off to themselves.

--

_Lucia winced as the hawk stepped on her foot for what was probably the tenth time._

_"I'm sorry, Milady. This isn't working at all," he sighed._

_She smiled. "Nonsense. You'll learn...it's not like my feet haven't been stepped on before, and it's not like I don't enjoy this more than being forced to waltz with Count Bastian all night and hearing all the compliments he so readily throws at me," she chuckled._

_"Ah, maybe this will help," the hawk mused, fluttering his wings and moving ever so slightly off the ground._

_"Janaff!" she exclaimed. "That's not fair at all."_

_"Isn't it?" he laughed, descending a few inches to land back on the floor next to her. "Better?"_

_"Yes," she answered, pecking him on the cheek. "Oh, speaking of Bastian, what is he doing at the moment?"_

_"Glaring at me, I'm afraid. His fists are clenched, and his 'pretty' mouth is wearing a frown," Janaff replied, a tinge of amusement in his voice._

_"You honestly shouldn't torment him so, Janaff. He really isn't that bad... I mean, he can be annoying some--or most--of the time, but he has a good heart," the woman reminded him._

"_So he does," the hawk mused, "but he hasn't _your_ heart."_

"_You enjoy being difficult, don't you?" she teased him as the dance ended. "Well, now I think you shall have met your match - the minuet, milord?"_

_He smiled as she curtsied ever-so-slightly before him. "You want to teach me the minuet?" Janaff asked in disbelief. At her nod, he chuckled, "You really have your work cut out for you then, my dear."_

"_Anything for you," she replied concisely, already beginning to lead him in the first movement. She pulled her foot away at his misstep, his shoe nearly avoiding her toe. He smiled half-heartedly at his own efforts to learn this new beorc dance. She mouthed, "You'll learn," before he found himself partnered with Titania, and her with Renning._

_--_

The blond man stopped before General Ike's Inn, grabbing the arm of the hawk-girl that had led him to this spot. "Milady Amber," the count said slowly, "say you do that a friend of yours awaits us inside the inn?"

The young woman nodded. "Yes," she replied, "Haggerhaw - though I wouldn't quite call him a friend, so to speak - can be found inside."

"If happens he does not to be a friend, then what does your reasoning for seeking him out happen to be?" the man queried, ducking swiftly behind a nearby barrel as a male customer descended the inn's steps.

"Stop acting like that, Bastian!" Amber demanded once the man had passed them, heading down the street without even a look back at the strange man hiding next to the young hawk. "No one is going to notice that you're here," she reasoned, trying to convince him to come out from behind the large, wooden object. She paused a moment, looking up and down at the count's attire. "On second thought, they might notice. _However_," she stressed the word, "no one is going to _care_ that you are here. They'll just assume that it's on official business."

The man nodded a simple reply, sheepishly emerging from his hiding place. He darted his eyes around him, carefully observing the space for any familiar faces. "Should the glorious Lady Lucia witness my presence in such an unwholesome manner, her eyes would cast shame down upon my very being," he mumbled.

His companion sighed, once again picking the earlier topic up. "Anyway, Haggerhaw isn't exactly Janaff's biggest fan - considering he works for my uncle, so he should be more than willing to wreck his relationship, even if it means associating with the likes of...you," she scoffed.

Ignoring the lady's last comment, Bastian mumbled, "See I do." Thoughtfully, he inquired, "Say, this Haggerhaw...his profession is what?"

"Ah," the girl muttered as she began dragging Bastian toward the entrance of the bar. "He's a...recovery agent," she explained meekly. "You know, a _fugitive_ recovery agent..."

"Fugitive recovery agent?" he mused aloud. "In the likeness of a bounty hunter?"

Amber nodded enthusiastically. "Precisely!" she exclaimed, a hint of nervousness in her voice as she pushed the door to Calill and Largo's inn open and disappeared inside.

"Dear Ashera, what have I gotten myself into?" Count Fayre muttered before following the hawk into the building.

--

The foul stench of alcohol stung the count's nose, becoming his first impression of the inn as the man emerged in the dimly-lit business in the heart of Melior. His eyes scanned the room for any sign of the hawk princess, but she was nowhere to be found. Grudgingly, he stomped his way to the counter, where a large beorc man with violet hair was using his one arm to pour drinks into thick glass mugs.

"Count Fayre!" the man exclaimed upon seeing the blond man. "It isn't often that we see you around here. What brings ya?"

"Here I be on official business," he lied, uncomfortably scratching his arm as he recalled Amber's earlier comment. "In search of a man by the name of Haggerhaw I am."

The barkeep let out a hearty laugh. "Haggerhaw? That's a good one, Count!" he exclaimed, entering a coughing fit. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, in which Bastian nervously switched his weight from one foot to the other - fully debating whether or not he should just walk out and act as if nothing had happened - Largo raised his eyebrows. "You were serious, weren't you?" he asked in disbelief. The count nodded sheepishly. "Oh, he's over there," the former berserker informed him, pointing in the direction of the bar's southern-most corner. "Good luck," the barkeep added before brushing past the other man to go serve a customer.

Bastian turned slowly in the direction indicated by his fellow war veteran. He gulped as his eyes fell on a large hawk laguz sitting alone in the near-pitch-dark corner. A pointed cowboy hat that looked as if it was about to fall apart at the seams rested on the man's head; a necklace with a pair of dice dangling from it adorned his neck. The count noted that this particular laguz was slightly smaller in size than the hawk king, making him a significant deal larger than the count's rival - Janaff. Haggerhaw brushed some dust off of his leather jacket before his bored stare turned toward the count; upon noticing Bastian's gaze on him, he flashed a menacing grin.

Count Fayre's eyes widened upon this recognition. _Dear Ashera...Amber, what have you done?_


End file.
